World

Crimea Votes: The Day in Pictures

In a quickly-called referendum, Crimea voters went to the polls on Sunday to choose whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

With Crimea's electorate composed mostly of ethnic Russians, the referendum was widely expected to support a split from Ukraine. While the Kiev government called the vote illegitimate and other countries saying they won't recognize the outcome, exit polls cited by officials reported that 93% of Crimean voters supported joining the Russian Federation. That number increased to 95% once half of the ballots were counted. As voting concluded, huge crowds gathered in the Crimean capital of Simferopol to celebrate the outcome.

Evgeny Feldman, a staff photographer for the Russian publication Novaya Gazeta, spent the day in Crimea's main cities, Simferopol and Sevastopol, as the vote progressed under the watchful eyes of masked soldiers aligned with Russia.

Voting in Crimea

People celebrate in Lenin Square, in the Crimean capital of Simferopol, after a reported 95% of people voted to make the peninsula a part of Russia.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

The Kuban Cossack Chorus performs during the celebration in Lenin Square.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

The crowd celebrates, waving Russian flags, in front of a statue of Lenin in Simferopol.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A woman votes on the Crimean referendum in Simferopol in front of a map of Ukraine.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A woman votes in Simferopol: Little tension could be seen in the voting booths, where most voters appeared to choose to make Crimea a part of Russia.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A woman votes in Simferopol on the Crimean referendum with voting booths draped in the colors of the Crimean flag.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

Local residents, including a police officer, show identification to get their ballots from election commission members in Simferopol.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A Simferopol voter lets her son cast her ballot during the first hour of voting.

At a rally in Sevastopol, Russia supporters decorate each other's cheeks with the Russian flag.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

Russia supporters salute a statue of Russian empress Ekaterina II who founded Sevastopol.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

An election commission member checks the ballot box in Sevastopol.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A ballot in favor of Crimea breaking away from Ukraine and becoming a part of Russia.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

Bikers from the "Night Wolves" motorcycle club ride on the streets of Sevastopol on the day of the Crimean referendum.

Image: Mashable, Evgeny Feldman

A man votes during the Crimean referendum in the city of Bakhchysaray.

The town is home to Crimea's population of Tatars, an ethnically Muslim group that was the subject of mass deportations during Stalin's regime.

The Tatars began to return some 20 years ago, and there are now approximately equal numbers of Tatars and Russians in the city. The Mejlis, the council which represents the Tatars, decided to boycott the referendum.

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